The present invention relates to an imprinting apparatus. More particularly this invention concerns an automatic device for printing the information from a master such as a credit card onto a copy sheet.
When a credit-card sale is made the buyer's credit card is fitted into a holder of an imprinting apparatus. This credit card carries raised indicia normally giving the name and account number of the buyer. The imprinter carries a plate which further gives the name and account number of the seller, and wheels or variable indicators on the imprinter also indicate the date of the sale and the sale price. Thus the credit card is placed in the holder and the machine is set for the particular sale price. Then a copy sheet, normally a multi-sheet billing form, is positioned on top of the master constituted by the indicia on the credit card and on the imprinting apparatus. A roller is then displaced across the billing slip, pressing it firmly down onto the underlying master so that the raised indicia on this master is all imprinted on the billing form.
Such a device allows credit sales to be carried out with some speed, at the same time insuring that all of the necessary information is transmitted to the multi-copy billing form. Such devices have several disadvantages however. First of all it is essential that an exactly controlled and relatively even pressure be applied to the copy sheet lying on top of the master. If the pressure is too great the copy sheet can be damaged. These copy sheets normally carry their own serial numbers so it is necessary to account for every one of them, so that such damage requires voiding an entry of the unusable billing form. Furthermore, if the pressure is too light the information will not be transferred accurately to all of the copies of the form, so that inaccurate billing can result or the loss of information can result in either the seller or the credit agency working with the seller losing the credit altogether.
Furthermore such devices frequently are relatively hard to operate, being heavily loaded with springs and the like so that the user must exert considerable force in order to pass the roller over the copy sheet lying on the master. When a great many transactions are being carried out this can result in a considerable tiring of the user, so that uneven printing results are obtained. Furthermore a handicapped person or a person of modest strength sometimes has difficulty operating such an imprinter.